Christianity

I'm a Christian.

(I'm also Southern Baptist, but that's secondary.)

Christianity is about Love. It's also about Grace (unmerited favor), Truth and our broken, inherently sinful human state of affairs.

Sometimes, it really pains me to see Christians (real or imagined) talking and behaving in decidedly non-loving ways. Sometimes it's me, unfortunately. Because, you see, Christianity is also (ironically?) subject to Freewill - Our God-given option to choose for ourselves (eternal life or eternal death?). Jesus died for our sins, paying their price once and for all, and He did it freely. According to Scripture, He really would have rather done it some other way, but in the end His prayer to his Father was "Nonetheless, not my will, but Your's be done". Maybe that's why He "stands at the door and knocks", instead of breaking the door down and forcing Himself on us.

It seems to me that all too often we (I, too) confuse sin for sinner and behavior for person. We then often end up either throwing the baby out with the bathwater, as it were (i.e., ignoring people because they're "sinners" - Folks, we're ALL sinners), or we get high and mighty in our attempts to "save them from their ways". We need to remember that only Jesus saves, and it happens only after the Holy Spirit convicts of sin. Christians are to simply share the good news of Jesus Christ - The fact that He is who He says He is, He did what He says He did and He will do what He says He will do. That means He paid the price that we, by all rights, should have to bear for our sin. That was His Freewill. And, He offers it to us freely - All we have to do is believe, turn from ourselves and accept His gift of eternal life. There's Grace again.

This page isn't a heavy theological discussion. To be painfully honest, I'm really not up to that task. It's just a few (probably disconnected) thoughts on the subject. Then again, Christianity isn't really about heavy theological discussions. It's about our acknowledgement of our inherently sinful state, and the only way it can be fixed - Through the blood and once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is my sincere hope that through my ramblings here, some good will come (Isaiah 55:11)

Have you come to the point where you're ready to acknowledge Jesus as Lord? It's as simple as A-B-C...

A - Admit you're a sinner. "For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God" (Romans 3:23). From Adam forward, we all have been in a state of sin, at state that no amount of Law can resolve. Only grace.

B - Believe on Jesus Christ. "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:16). Jesus is the one and only Son of God, who died and rose again to pay the price for my and your sin. And, He remains Lord, regardless of whether we choose to acknowledge Him or not.

C - Confess your sin. "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9). See "believe in your heart"? That's they key - Heart-belief, not head-knowledge. Jesus Was, Is and Will Be, as He says.

Accepting Jesus Christ isn't about merely saying a prayer, or simply believing He lived (and died and rose again, for that matter). It's about CHANGE. It's about giving Him control of your life, as best as you know how. You don't have to understand everything, nor do you have to "clean yourself up" (indeed, none of us can). Just turn it over to Jesus and He will do the rest. I know - I'm living proof... not perfect by any means, but CHANGED with the absolute promise of eternal life.

You, too, can be changed - A-B-C...